


Anniversaries

by tobus (asoldandtrueasthesky)



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: M/M, Minor Injuries
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-16
Updated: 2016-08-16
Packaged: 2018-08-09 04:28:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,514
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7786807
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asoldandtrueasthesky/pseuds/tobus





	Anniversaries

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ThetaSigma](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThetaSigma/gifts).



“I can’t believe you’re doing this.” John muttered, feeling very out of place in the restaurant full of happy couples.

“Well, it’s the first year of… this that we haven’t been caught up in a major case.”

“You’re not going to ask me for a civil partnership, are you? That’s just too close to marriage.”

“Shut up and eat.” Fin said, taking a bite of his food.

“Easy for you to say. I don’t entirely trust the menu.”

“You’re a snob. It’s good food.”

“They have intestines on the menu.”

“Okay, it’s alright food. I dunno, a burger at the usual place seemed a little underwhelming.”

“True.”

“Y’know, I’ve never really been on one of these that ended well. What are y’meant to talk about?” 

“Well, not work, I’m told.”

“I kinda figured out murder-rape wouldn’t make the best dinner table conversation all on my own.”

“A considerable achievement.”

“You are a snob.”

“Guilty as charged.” John nodded. “But if you want a topic of conversation how about `an expansion of the DNA databank would constitute an attack on our civil liberties?` I just read some more articles on that. Or there’s always the old staples, UFOs, area 57, the alleged moon landing.”

“You’re a freak, you know that?”

John gave a mock bow. “One of us has to be nerdy.”

“’s not nerdy, it’s obsessive. Nerdy is like, playing pokemon or whatever it is.”

“Isn’t that obsessive?”

Finn shrugged. “I guess. I think Ken used to collect the cards.”

“Did you buy them for him?”

“Probably not.”

“See, _that’s_ where you failed as a father.”

“It’s probably a bit late for that now.” Fin said. John didn’t reply so he looked up with a frown.

John was staring intently at something outside. Just as Finn turned to look John shot to his feet and charged out into the street. Finn followed, reaching for the gun he didn’t have.

“What the hell, John?”

“Call for backup.” John said and there was an urgency in his voice Finn knew not to question.

 

**

 

“There was a little girl out here, looked about five or six, I was keeping an eye on her in case she was lost. Someone pulled her into a car, no indication she knew the guy. Got a partial plate.”

“But you’re not certain she was kidnapped? She didn’t scream or anything?”

“I don’t know, I was in the restaurant! But I know what I saw, Olivia.”

“Description?”

“Black, long hair, kind of tall?”

“Clothes?”

“I don’t know, usual kids clothes. She was wearing something blue, I think.”

Olivia nodded and glanced at Finn. “You see any of this?”

“Nah, just saw Munch go crazy. Saw the car though, I think it was a black sedan.”

She nodded. “Elliot’ll canvas for more witnesses, it’s only 8pm, someone should have seen something.” She slipped back into the squad car, Munch and Fin taking the back. “You were at the restaurant together? Didn’t think you liked French food.”

“I don’t.” Fin muttered.

“He made a reservation.”

“Didn’t think you were much of a romantic, either, Fin.” She smiled.

“Yeah, yeah. “Finn muttered something under his breath about Munch’s bony ass.

 

**

 

“She doesn’t match any missing persons reports.” Elliot announced as he walked into the squad room.

“It happened half an hour ago, they probably have no idea she’s missing.”

“Or you’re getting paranoid in your old age.”

“Are you trying to say you’re not paranoid or that you’re old?” Fin asked. “What if John had seen someone who might be your kid?”

Elliot turned on him, his voice as cold as if he was questioning a suspect. “Don’t bring my kids in to this.”

Cragen put up a hand to stop Fin retaliating and said calmly, “With no idea who she is and no idea if she even has been kidnapped there’s not much we can do. Tomorrow, if you’re right, there’ll be worried parents kicking up a fuss and we can get somewhere.”

“Tomorrow morning she might be dead in a suitcase. We have a partial plate and a description of the car, let us run with it.”

Cragen watched him for a moment before finally nodding. “Run it through the system. See if you get any matches. Fin, if the trail is cold, make him get some sleep.”

“Will do, Captain.”

 

**

 

“You know, you don’t need to bite Elliot’s head off for me.”

“I don’t need an excuse to bite his head off. He doesn’t care about no one ‘cept Liv, his family and anyone who reminds him of ‘em.”

“Evidently you don’t.”

“What?”

“Need an excuse.”

“You think I’m being too harsh on him? Sorry if it was too much to think he might have a bit of trust in me after, what, eight years of fighting on the same side.”

 “Now you’re biting my head off.” John said mildly. “Hang on, I think I have something.”

Fin glanced at the list. “Fifty matches? I ain’t checking out fifty homes and alibis.”

“But only one’s a registered sex offender.”

 

**

 

“Captain, we have a suspect, his parole officer can’t get in touch…” John trailed off, seeing the grave look on his face.

 “A mother rang a different precinct saying her six year old is missing, from the description it could be the kid you saw.”

“You have a picture?”

Cragen took a photo from his desk.

“That’s her.” John sighed. He should have been quicker. Shouldn’t have hesitated. Shouldn’t have been distracted by Fin.

“Then we work it as an abduction.” Cragen nodded. “Kid had a cell phone with her, get TARU to run it.”

“We might get a location, if we’re lucky.”

“If he’s stupid.”

“He got caught twice already, he’s not a criminal mastermind.” Fin shrugged.

 

**

 

“You’d better have a good reason for getting me up at this time of night.”

“It’s an emergency. Kidnapped six year old.”

“We think she has a phone with her, haven’t rung it yet.”  

Morales nodded. “If it’s turned on I can give you a location, just give me a minute.”

“Ah, the wonders of modern technology.” John said.

Fin nudged him. “Shut up, wouldn’t you rather know where your kid is?”

“All I’m saying is I’m not getting a phone with GPS anytime soon.”

“I’ll drag you into the 21st century one day.”

“Yeah, kicking and screaming.”

“Got it.” Morales said, leaving the address on the screen for them to see. “I’ll tell you if it moves.”

“Thanks, owe you one.” Fin called, already running to the car.

 

**

 

Fin wasn’t sure what he’d been expecting but it wasn’t this. The address had led them to a residential lot in the kind of neighbourhood you didn’t expect convicted criminals to be able to afford. Maybe the guy was adding breaking and entering to his rap sheet.

He didn’t like waiting but they had nothing but the phone to link either the house or their suspect to the missing kid and warrants were hard to get at 1am.

Finally, his phone rang and Casey’s voice rang out. “You have your warrant but I had to interrupt _another_ of Judge Bradley’s poker games so if you need anything else you can risk life and limb in my stead.”

“Thanks, we’re on it.” Fin nodded to John who was already out of the car and heading over to the door to announce themselves as police.

As Fin caught up John shouted, “Gun!”

Fin charged into the house, drawing his gun and found their suspect armed and with his arm tight around their missing kid. He twisted the gun so that it was pointed at her temple, while she could only stare back at them in silent terror.

“Put down the gun. Or she dies.”

Fin had a clear shot. John didn’t.

John did so, slowly, not taking his eyes off the guy.  “We already have backup. Snipers, out there. You want to get out of this, you have to give me the girl, alright? Just let her go and no one has to get hurt.”

The man froze, eyes flicking wildly between John and Fin, and slowly took the gun away from the girl’s head. John was a split second away from relaxing when the gun was suddenly pointed in his direction. John had no time to react but suddenly, the man slumped forward. The bullet went off course, ricocheting harmlessly into the wall behind him.

John breathed. “Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it.”

John turned his attention to the terrified child while Fin covered the wound of the man he’d just shot.

 

**

 

John took in a breath of the cool night air. Almost dying had a strange way of making you feel very alive, he’d never felt less tired. “Guess we should call off the dinner and go straight home.”

“Next year we should just get a takeaway.”

“Next year we should stop kidding ourselves about avoiding work and pull an all-nighter at the station.”

“Or an all-nighter somewhere else. Even Liv and Stabler wouldn’t interrupt that.”

John grinned. “If you’re sure my bony ass can manage it.”

 

 


End file.
